Long way to home
by TheCatInTheShadows
Summary: When Arthur' and Merlin's paths cross again thousands of years later, the whole humanity is in danger. Can Merlin in time recall who he is and is he able to save them. whump, bromance, no slash.
1. Prologue

**Those who know, English isn't my language and I have never actually studied it, so there is mistakes. Forgive me.**

* * *

"Hey, boy, come on! We need to be soon on the gate!"

The young man waved his hand to indicate that he had heard his friend, and turned to look once again the ship what was docking. It was one of the largest he had ever seen. Red, sleek, and its sides' graced a white dragon character. He was not the only one who had come to watch the starship. The young man began to walk forward, pushing through the crowd. He listened the conversation which filled the hall. Each whispered the name of the ship.

It had finally become and everyone waited eagerly to hear was there any chances to find a job from the ship. The young man smiled. He couldn't even dream from that wonderful possibility. And he didn't. He had a good job and the space station was a nice place to live. He didn't need anything else.

"Merlin!"

Oh, but there was one who would go with the ship and leave him behind.

"Hello Gwen." Merlin turned see his friend.

"It came!"

"I saw it. It's wonderful. Beautiful. Just like you." Merlin grinned and Gwen hugged him. Merlin wrapped his arms around her.

"I leave soon." Gwen whispered.

"I know. You do great."

"I miss you already."

"Don't." Merlin begged.

"It's unlikely that we will meet again." Gwen's voice almost broke.

"Don't start to cry now. We speak later." Merlin smiled and wiped away a lonely tear. "I have to go."

"Tonight. Come. Eight o'clock!" Gwen yelled after him and Merlin nodded before he disappeared around the corner. Gwen walked to watch her new home.

The research starship _Excalibur_.


	2. Start of the night

Uther watched absent-mindedly the information data what flickered on the screens all over the round bridge and leaned back. Finally he turned to look over the control shaft his first officer. "Agravaine, do you have any new information about the repair schedule?"

Other side of the bridge Agravaine glanced over his shoulder, the comlink clicked as he shook his head. "_Estimate is still holding. We can leave tomorrow 1600. We had time to load all the necessary things and to take aboard the new employees."_

"How many are there?" Uther was trying to remember. Station 51 was a medium-sized, modest and very secluded space port. It was focused mainly on ship repairs and was a waypoint to many who travelled across the space. It was rare that anyone came on board from there.

_"Three. One of them is Gaius' new apprentice. Then one holder trainer and one machinist."_ Agravaine send the data but Uther didn't watch it. He just nodded and his eyes followed the radar user who nervously typed the screen.

"Something wrong Morgana?"

The young woman didn't turned to answer, it was like her fingers were typing more furiously now.

_"I got a mark from the hyperspace. Mark 3-5-10."_ Her voice was tight. Uther frowned and directed the data on his own console.

"Are you sure?"

Answer came quickly. "_Three signs. One big fish. Two pilotfish. No good."_

"Do they call us?"

_"No. They are trying to hide but this new system is really good."_ Morgana sounded proud and she smirked.

"Focus now." Uther commanded, still frowning. He felt everyone on the bridge looking him, waiting.

"_Republicans_?" Agravaine said out loud what they all thought and he could hear through the comlink how Uther scrunched his teeth. Then Uther leaned forward and hit the screen to open the all channels.

"_This's your captain. Red call. I repeat. Red call."_

The sleeping bridge came to life again.

"Estimated time of arrival?"

_"An hour standard time."_ Morgana's fingers were flying on the screen when around her the Excalibur began to wake up again.

"Abort the loading and be ready for quick departure as soon as everyone is on board again. Give a warning to station. Open the connection to the station chief. We do not have time flee without republican's notice, so the whole station is in the firing line. Tell to start the evacuation. And where the hell are our pilots?" Uther roared.

* * *

"Looks lie here is some kind of party going!" Arthur yelled over the music and Leon grinned. "I can't believe you snugged us out of the ship!"

"We deserve it, believe me. I handle the captain." Arthur slapped his friend on the back and headed toward the bar.

"Sure. He is _your_ father." Leon muttered and followed.

"Two Galaxy if you don't mind?" Arthur ordered and the blond barmaid smiled and winked. "Not at all my dear. Here. You are from the Excalibur?" She watched the red uniforms and Arthur leaned over the desk. "You can say. When you can leave with me?"

The blond faced him and kissed him on the nose.

"Too young to me boy."

Arthur retreated and the blond walked to serve another.

"She is too old to you mate." Leon laughed and Arthur sighed and turned his back watching the celebrating crowd. "You are right. But I think I can find someone for to night."

It didn't take long, because someone stumbled, staggered, collided with Arthur, and they fell to the floor. Arthur tried to scramble up before realizing that apologising person was a young woman.

"I didn't look. I'm sorry. Are you hurt? It seemed to me that someone accidentally pushed me and I fell down, and ... I'm horrible! I ..."

Their eyes met. Arthur sank into the depths of brown eyes and he smiled foolishly. Rest of the world faded away somewhere in the background.

"I'm Gwen." She smiled uncertainly. Arthur realized that he was put his arms protectively around the woman's body and they lay on the floor, Gwen on top of him.

"Arthur." He said, and wouldn't want to let go of her. Then he saw Leon's smiling face behind Gwen. "Well, got someone?"

* * *

"This is Gwaine and Lance. They are coming too." Gwen introduced last the two young men. Arthur felt Lancelot's investigative gaze, and suddenly felt nervous. They exchanged compliments, and finally Arthur and Leon sat down.

"So this is your farewell party?" Arthur asked, and Gwaine grinned cheerfully. "Oh, yes. All-time party! Best ever seen in here! Although that doesn't take much." He laughed. "However, we are missing one of the gang. Hey, Lance, did you see Merlin earlier?"

"He said to come, but he's probably stuck in his jobs and not notice the time passing again."

"He promised to come." Gwen sounded miserable and his good cheerfulness seemed to disappear. Arthur wondered who that Merlin was because the entire party around the table seemed to start suddenly yearn after that person. Gwaine dug up his communicator. He tried to call but then looked the communicator oddly and frowned.

"I can't get through."

And then, the alarm went on.

"Oh, you have to be kidding me, right?" Arthur watched how the night club's disco lights went off and the red and green light suddenly stopped the music.

"_This is the security chief. The station is under the evacuation. Please, stay calm and follow the plan. Everyone have to return to their ships or either the rescue vessels…"_

"You three, you are coming with us." Arthur rose.

"But…" Gwen stared at him surprised.

"Follow him Gwen. Our place is in Excalibur now." Lance rushed her to move. Arthur put his comlink back online.

"_Arthur, do you hear me? Answer if you…"_

"Sire…"

"_Where the hell are you?"_

"Inside the station. We…"

"_No time for that. Get back here NOW! I presume that Leon is with you."_

"Yes. What is going on?" Arthur steeled his nervousness.

"_The republicans."_


	3. Impact

They run, through the gates on the harbour. Lancelot still tried to make contact at Merlin. "Merlin! Do you hear me?"

"_Lancelot?"_ Came quiet answer. They stopped.

"Where are you? Are you okay?" Gwaine snatched the communicator back from Lancelot. "Merlin?"

"_Whe… you?" _The connection broke.

"We are almost in Excalibur. Where the hell are you? You have to get out of here. Now!"

"_Heading…. Do… Ten." _

"The signal is weakening." Lancelot murmured.

"Did he say Dock Ten?" Gwen asked, her eyes widening.

"Are you insane?" Gwaine yelled back. "You haven't got that piece of shit on move over twelve years. It's suicide!"

Silence.

"Merlin? Please answer. Merlin!" Gwaine tried with growing desperation.

"_Then wish me a good luck."_ Came calm answer and they lost the signal.

"We have to go now!" Arthur rushed them. "We can't help your friend if he's not here."

"He is heading to his own ship." Gwen shook her head when they started to run again. Tears flowed on her eyes. "He dies. That ship is broken. He never makes it."

Arthur watched her and helped her forward, through the airlocks. "Then we just wish luck like he said. I'm sorry."

Gwen smiled to him. Gwaine cursed. The doors behind them locked on by one separating them once and from all from the station.

* * *

Morgause wanted to blow up something. She had just got the news that the upcoming three ships were out of the hyperspace.

"Is everyone inside?" She yelled on his radio.

"_Just got the last ones!"_ Came hurried answer.

"Then shut all the doors. Bridge! We are ready to leave!"

"_Roger."_

Morgause cursed loudly. "Medicine?"

_"We are ready."_ Gaius' quiet all experienced voice answered, and Morgause grimaced.

"Hopefully your new student realized to come by. Though this might remain a short trip."

"_You're underestimating the resilience of this ship."_

"By hell this is a research ship, so we're going to run away the tail between our legs." Morgause snapped back and changed the frequency again. "Are the civilians secured?"

_"Yes." _

"Close the laboratories." Morgause commanded. "All of you men, be ready, I'm on the bridge."

Then she shut the radio, stopped and leaned his back on the cold metal wall. The hallway where she was was a quiet, she couldn't hear anything or anyone. She breathed in and out until she was calm again. Then she felt the light tremor going through the ship. They were on the move.

* * *

"_Are we sending any messages to them?" _

"Do you think they listen anything what we want to say?" Uther asked and the young communications officer shook his head. "Then stop asking stupid questions."

He grimaced when he heard a clear creak when the ship's bulkhead hit something.

"_Sorry_." There was a timid voice when Uther turned to look the pilot who was floating middle of the control shaft. This was still too inexperienced to guide the Excalibur off the dock, but Arthur and Leon, _both_, were gone. If they survive, he would give them something to think about for years to come.

"_Message coming!"_ officer yelled same time when Morgause stepped on the bridge. _"Audio only."_

"To speakers." Uther commanded. Morgause rushed up to him and bent down to examine the flooded information.

"_This is Republic star ship Saxon. Surrender or we shoot." _Calm voice with metallic sound greeted them.

"They want this ship_."_ Morgause muttered and Uther nodded. "Are we carrying something important or do they just want the ship?"

"_We are not taking any hostages if you surrender." _The voice added.

"_Fishy. They always execute all they can get. They hate us_." Morgana said.

"_Five minutes."_ The pilot announced.

"We leave. No answers to them. Karl, bow towards them. Pilot the jump over them. "Uther made his decision.

"_They guess at once what you are going to. It's too risky."_ Agravaine pointed out.

"Exactly." Uther smiled. "Get ready to jump. This will be a bumpy ride. "

"_Lasers! They are targeting us!_ "Morgana exclaimed.

"Sound the alarm! Shields?"

"_We are still too close of station."_

"_If they shoot now they hit the station too."_

"Plasma?"  
_"40%! We are not ready yet!"_

"How's the evacuation?" Uther glanced Morgause.

"Almost ready." Morgause grinned her teeth.

"_They shot the plasma!"_ Morgana yelled.

"Ready to impact!"

* * *

The impact get them fall and the whole ship trembled.

"We are too close of the station." Arthur muttered realizing what was happening. He stumbled over the controlpanel and placed his hand on it linking himself in Excalibur's neurolinksystem to see what was happening. He more like sensed it than saw, how the plasma surrounded the ship and part of its energy went over and continued the journey. "Too close." Arthur sighed and closed his eyes. Rest of the plasmaenergy hit the station and explosion's shock wave make them fall again. Everything went black.


	4. New Captain

_I have to say, I'm extremely busy with my school far a way from home in totally different country, although I have lived here (not in this town though, and this is BIG CITY) before, It's strange to be back. I try write, but this story, ah, I don't have much motivation, but I try because I actually like this one. And I haven't been speaking or writing English in here at all, so I'm afraid there is again lot of mistakes. And if anyone thinks about beta, read my profile first, then you know. _

_Thank you everyone who still wants to hear rest of this._

_#_

Merlin ran like never before. Or what he remembered. It was difficult to say because of his memory lost over twelve years ago. But now he ran heading toward the station's farthest corner, Dock Ten. It was abandoned place, where some people tried to rebuild or repair their already doomed ships. One of them was Merlin's.

He cursed lightly when he lost the contact to his friends, but being glad that they were out of the station. Not necessarily safe, but now they have better chances to survive, even if Excalibur may be the target. But Merlin understood that even if Excalibur was really the target, there was no way that the space station would survive. He had heard that the coming three ships were republics. They all knew what that meant.

Join or die.

Finally he was out of the elevator and on the dock. Junks were everywhere and he ran middle of the abandoned ships, until he reached the silver-white, small 30 meter long ship. It was single-seated, but there were two small cabins. He opened the drawbridge half way before jumped in and closed it fast behind him. Somehow he knew that there wasn't much time left. He hurried to the cockpit and threw himself on his stomach. The seat complied with his posture. He looked around, placing his palms over the panels.

"Please please please. Fly." He tried to concentrate, link himself with the ship. He wasn't even tried this over two years now when he was finally gave up. Some people who he had asked help had visited and looked it, saying that it was perhaps customized to him. It was unique. They have ever seen anything like that. It seemed to be more alien than human. Maybe he had been just a passenger, not a pilot. Maybe it was the reason why he couldn't link with it.

His head fell and forehead touched the cold mat. He felt how the station trembled. With desperation he stared to console.

"Fly!"

The world around him exploded.

#

They reached the bridge. The red alarm light coloured everything.

"_Arthur!"_ Morgana yelled and pointed over the control shaft . There was no pilot, the harness hanged freely. The pilot was fell and the ship's heart, the massive orange and golden energy, what was now open had swallowed him. Arthur was on move. He reached his hand and the strings started to squirm toward him fast. Excalibur needed his pilot but the heart was still open.

"Close it Morgana!"

"_I try!"_

Agravaine raised his head. He was standing over Uther with Morgause. His voice what came over link was first time in years tired.

"_He's dead."_

Arthur closed his eyes pushing the sorrow away. There was no time to that.

Gwen was walked front of the screen where she could see everything what was happening outside the ship.

"Our home." She whispered and Lancelot took her hand.

"Merlin…" Gwaine watched with horror the view. Gwen pressed her head against Lancelot's shoulder and cried.

The strings pulled Arthur with them, coiling around him, creating the neurolink that was stronger than anything. He was now captain, owner of this ship, and the Excalibur confirmed this. Under him the heart was now closing.

"They are coming." He whispered through the link and opened the channel to everyone to hear.

"_Surrender."_ The voice commanded.

"Never." Arthur hissed back. "Plasma?"

"_100!"_

Arthur's mind flow through the space and he watched the three ships. They were ugly. Half organ, half metal. Twisted.

"_Then we destroy you all."_

"Shields!" Arthur commanded.

"_There are none!"_

Arthur was watching through the ship's eyes. They were doomed. Second hit and it would be over. They had only one shot, but the angle was wrong. If he ordered to fire the plasma now, it wouldn't hit anything. His only chance was fly over them, follow the curse what his father had planned.

_We are so dead_, Arthur though and closed his eyes when he saw how the plasma was again let toward them.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered waiting the impact in any second.

Nothing happened.

Or maybe something.

He heard something, like a howl through the empty space. Angry roar.

"_That was close. My shields hold them, but no long."_

Arthur opened his eyes, watching the scene, Excalibur still turning to face the enemyships.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked, watching the beautiful ship and the shimmering shield. Same time that he saw how the young lanky man smiled to him, the hologram appeared on the bridge and Gwen sobbed in disbelief.

"Merlin?"

Merlin smiled and watched directly Gwen then back at Arthur. But what he saw was Arthur standing right front of him middle of the space. _"Follow me, I clear the way."_

"With your ship?" Arthur couldn't believe it.

Merlin grinned. "_Yes. Trust me."_

Arthur stared him and gulped. It was insane; he knew it, to trust someone who had never met. But to trust someone who was saved them all. "Alright."

"_I send the coordinates."_

Then Merlin was gone. The information flowed through his mind and Arthur followed the white ship. It felt like he was seen that before.

"The plasma…"

"_Ready."_

"When I say…"

They faced the enemy. He checked where Merlin was, that he was out of the way.

"Now."

The explosion blinded him for a moment.

"_Good grief."_ He heard Merlin whisper, like he was standing right next to him. "_Was that really necessary?"_

"Yes." Arthur answered, closing the conversation out of anyone else.

Silence.

"_What ever you say."_ Merlin sighed. "_Ready to jump."_

"Open the gate." Arthur ordered. "Ready to jump. 5-4-3-2-1 Now."


End file.
